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Asshur

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Son of Shem and traditional ancestor of the Assyrians; also a variant spelling of Assyria.

Detailed Definition
Asshur links biblical genealogy to a major imperial power that later exiled Israel. In poetry, he symbolizes the rise of empires, the paradox of kinship turning to conquest, and the divine use of foreign nations as instruments of judgment.
Example
Example in poetry:
Asshur—son of Shem and progenitor of Assyrians—fuels origin poetry: “From Asshur rose Nineveh, city of violence and second chances”; A poem on empire: “Asshur built walls, but Jonah’s word tore them down”; In a prophetic contrast: “Asshur’s chariots thundered, yet Nahum sang their silence”; Genealogical verse: “Blessed Asshur, whose line knew both judgment and mercy.”
Additional Notes
Asshur refers both to Noah’s grandson (Genesis 10:22) and to Assyria, Israel’s formidable enemy (e.g., Isaiah 10). The dual usage links ancestry with geopolitical threat. In poetry, “Asshur” can symbolize imperial arrogance, divine instrument of judgment, or the tension between kinship and enmity—especially in laments over the fall of Samaria (722 BCE).
Also Known As
Assyria Ashur
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